" Next on our list, the sports car that literally saved the sports car business. Some of the sexiest names on the streets, like Mercedes and BMW are a huge debt to the modest little Mazda Miata, the biggest selling 2-seat convertible of all time."
" I think the Miata is the most influential sports car of its time. It actually brought back the idea of having a personal sports car when we were lost. We had nothing."
" Say cars today like, BMW Z4, Mercedes' okay, all owe their existence to the success of the Mazda Miata. "
" There is an example of a sports car that's not a high performance car out of the box, but it's absolutely perfect. You are down to the ground, it's still under 2500 pounds. The power-weight ratio is perfect. The balance is perfect. It's an absolute joy to drive."
" Because it was so light and evenly balanced front to back. The Miata handled superbly."
" It wasn't expensive. It handled brilliantly. It was cheap to run and it performed well, and lastly and most irritatingly, Japanese again. It was reliable."
" When they test the prototypes, they went out over to Santa Barbra and they were literally being pursued by joggers waving checkbooks and things like this, you know, what is this car? We wanna buy it, you know, this is-- this is great."
" Not exactly the most macho of sports car. The Miata is known more for its social clubs than setting speed records. It takes a sluggish 7 plus seconds to get from knot to 60."
" I normally use it for going to the grocery store and back. So I don't usually go over 40 miles an hour."
" I know every woman has a dream of being able to get on the race track and go fast and beat the guys."
" Hi Judy."
" Hi."
" Nice to meet you. You alright [unk]?"
" [unk] set up a day at the track with a former race car driver to see if Judy could learn to transform her mild mono-roadster into a genuine racer."
" Here we go."
" Okay, we're starting now."
" First, Judy's instructor puts her Miata through its paces."
" More at least, he gets it going over 40."
" [unk]"
" It's fun when you're driving."
" Though it gives people a watered-down version of owning a sports car, you know, for a limited budget."
" And it drives better than many much bigger, much more powerful, much more showy sports cars, but it doesn't have [unk]."
" It's a chick car. It's a girl car, you know, I see a guy driving that down the way and I just feel bad for him."
" Would I be seen in 1? Good lord, no. My friends would never speak to me again."
" Okay, so it's not a high-performance Ferrari, but these cars can touch 130 miles an hour. Of course, the driver has to be willing. Alas! A total transformation was not to be. On this day, the Miata stereotype of being essentially a girl's car, held true."
" Cool."
" Oh, that was fun."
" Still in a typical Miata fashion, they had fun."
" I can't believe I did that."
" [unk]."
" A number of people think that the Miata is a girl's car 'cause it only has a little 4-cyclinder engine, but I think that's missing the point. A great sports car is not just about the numbers. It's about, how it makes you feel when you're driving it along."
" And it is a man's sports car not just a woman's car."
" No, I wouldn't call it a girly car, no and I think it's also-- I would say it's a unisex car."
" It's a different feeling no less than a sports car, but just a different-- it is a lightness of being."
" Unbelievable. It was so much fun. I just think the Miata has everything in a car. It can do everything you ask it to do."
" Look, you're kiddin' right?"
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7:18
Top Gear Mazda MX-5 NCby mx5clubnl199,806 views
I wouldn't be cought dead in that baby blue jacket that dush bag was wearing miata's kick ass!
sirmidnightracers 3 weeks ago
@hugenoodles This is funny I once owned a mx6 myself and when I drove a mx5 I fell in love. Now years later Mx6 is gone but now I have an Mx5
1darslars 1 month ago
I love my car. Now Is the MX5 a powerhouse when stock? no. But you can change it to your liking. I love the handling and the fact that it's compact. If you want it ''fast'' you can make it fast , but if you want a fun drive with the top up or down , then test drive one . ;)
1darslars 1 month ago
I'm just a little disappointed that for all of its technical innovations, there was no rx7 in the list.
N6600 1 month ago
@guyNbluejeans I'm 6'1" 220lbs and I fit in my miata perfectly. however I can touch my rear tire while sitting in the drivers seat. haha
rchbfpv2 2 months ago
and that's why they invented turbos... My Miata has over 500 whp. A true mans sports car.
stabilityball 2 months ago
@MrLolx2u After the recession in the late 80's, Porsche didn't have the funds to redesign the entry-level 944. Instead, they evolved it into the 968. Unfortunately, it didn't sell well and was axed after just 4 years. Mazda meanwhile rekindled the world's love of roadsters and gave Porsche the design inspiration to improve sales: swap the idea of a coupe for the popular idea of a roadster: The Boxster therefore differentiated itself from the unappreciated 968 that preceded it.
marshknute 2 months ago
@MrLolx2u this series is older than the gtr and the r32. and while i do agree about the other cars mentioned, those cars are not really "remembered"
jojo0827 2 months ago
Drove a Miata once and it really handles well but the power wise and legendary blah blah blah..... Fake? Power's too weak to be sporty, looks okok, reliable yes but do you want your stead to have a good fun ride or talk tech talk which bores her? Porsche saved by Mazda? Are they freaking insane? Porsche needs Mazda's help? pih! Porsche is KING OF SPORTSCAR! Why would they need a normal car brand to save them? Even if the Boxster is gone, 911 still sells well!
MrLolx2u 3 months ago
Really? Miata? Oh my god? What about the GTR? R32? Broke the Nurburgrirng production car record and winning every fucking single race in Group A that they entered and nicknamed the Godzilla. Audi Quattro? Brought 4WD into rallying world? Lancia Stratos? 3x WRC Champions. Ford Gt40? Beat Fezza's ass back to Italy and make it stay grounded for 3 years? All owned by a Miata? what a piece of crap list. *Cont*
MrLolx2u 3 months ago